


Hearts Crossed

by NCISVILLE



Series: Of Mice and Men [6]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Clara is severely injured, F/M, Kinda, The Doctor fails at his duty of care, The Doctor is beating himself up, there is some fluff, whouffaldi week day 6
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-27
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-05-29 09:28:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6369334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NCISVILLE/pseuds/NCISVILLE
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Clara is hurt under the Doctor's watch he vows to never again allow her to be hurt. <br/>“I’m sorry Clara. I’m so sorry. I’ll never let something like this happen to you again. I promise. Cross my hearts and hope to die.” </p><p>Post Last Christmas pre Magician's Apprentice<br/>Whouffaldi week day 6</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hearts Crossed

**Author's Note:**

> day 6 prompt: 'hearts crossed and hope to die', fire, shaking

**Hearts Crossed**                                                                                             

 

“CLARA!”  The Doctor screamed in agony as he watched a gulf of fire consume her. 

He listened to her pained scream and took off running to her, ignoring the flames that nipped at him as he walked through them. He didn’t care how badly he was hurt just so long as his Clara was still alive. He found her on the forest floor surrounded by flames, her arm bleeding and marked by the fire. Her side was also bloody from where the fire had grabbed her and burned her clothes. The rest of her seemed fairly unharmed but she’d need oxygen from the smoke being inhaled. She was unconscious on the ground and in the next moment she was in his arms. He took off running to the Tardis, neglecting the fire that was consuming the forest. He would return and take care of the beasts who had done this to his Clara just as soon as she was stable and asleep. But right now he was getting off this damned planet. 

He ran her to the medibay and told the Tardis to take off and put them in orbit around the planet. When he arrived he set her down and immediately began to take off her clothes, being cautious where the fabric was stuck to her burned skin. When she was stripped of the clothes he carefully turned her onto her good side on the table and first attached an oxygen mask to her face so when she woke she would be breathing in air. He made sure to lace the air with an anesthetic that would hopefully numb her to the pain. On the outside he was focused and calm but within he was burning with rage for the monsters that had done this to her on purpose. He hadn’t realized she was so far behind him. He should have grabbed her hand before running, should have made her go ahead of him. With a shake of his head he re-focused himself. He could beat himself up later. Right now he had to take care of Clara. 

Rummaging through some drawers he pulled out a canister that’d been given to him many years ago and read the note on top. _‘Apply generously and burns will begin to heal. Apply every 8 hours.’_ He did as was told and scooped out a glob of the ointment applying it to all the bloody charred skin on her side and arm. He grabbed the gauze next and sent out a silent thank you to Martha Jones for teaching him how to do all this. He wrapped the gauze around her body with some difficulty and did the same to her arm. When the gauze was on securely he cleaned up the space around him and then took a seat beside her.

It only took but a moment of holding her undamaged hand and looking at her face for him to break into tears. “I’m sorry Clara. I’m so sorry. I’ll never let something like this happen to you again. I promise. Cross my hearts and hope to die.” His body began to shake as he was wracked with sobs, weeping over how he failed to protect the one thing in the Universe that mattered most to him. He was so distraught and holding his head in his hands that he didn’t even notice Clara had stirred from her sleep despite the anesthetic he’d given her. 

“Doctor, it’s okay.” She rasped, holding the oxygen mask a few inches off her face. 

His head whipped up and she noticed instantly the red bloodshot eyes. He looked like he’d gotten a hundred years older since the last time she looked at him. 

“Clara.” The way he whispered her name, was the way one responded when they’d seen an angel. 

His voice was filled with so many emotions and she wished she could take them all away. They’d never said how they actually felt about each other, choosing instead to let their actions say what they could not with words. She suspected he would break that silent agreement now. 

“It’s not your fault.” She’d always known him so well, knew exactly what was plaguing his mind. 

“It is. I have a duty of care and I let you get hurt Clara.” 

“Doctor…it’s okay. I will be just fine.” 

“But that’s the point Clara!” He yelled jumping out of his chair, tipping it over. “You should have never been hurt in the first place! Do you understand what would have happened to me if you had died? What would happen if I lost you today? I would have died Clara. You are the most important thing in the Universe, in _my_ Universe, and I can’t let anything happen to you. I love you.” He confessed, adrenaline pumping through his veins. She reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. 

“You’re my universe too. But you can’t always protect me Doctor. I’m only human.” She rasped, coughing occasionally. She met his eyes and squeezed his hand again before continuing. “I love you too.” More tears began to flow and he fell down at her side, holding her hand in his as he cried. “Shh.” She soothed gingerly moving her burned arm until she was able to bury her hand in his fluffy curls, massaging his head and absent mindedly playing with his hair until finally he stopped crying. 

When he lifted his head he noticed she was shaking a bit. “Are you cold?” He asked jumping to attention.

“A little. I am only in my under garments after all.” She coughed out with a shiver. 

“You should put that oxygen mask back on. It’ll help you to stop coughing. There’s smoke still in your lungs.” She did as was told and began to breathe easier. The Doctor grabbed a light and fluffy blanket before carefully draping it over her. She snuggled into the blanket as best she could and smiled at her Doctor. “Rest.” He said softly caressing her face and pushing back her hair. His finger tips lightly grazed her temple and in the next moment she was asleep. 

“I’ll protect you for the rest of my life. Hearts crossed and hope to die.” He repeated softly, kissing her temple.

 

                                              XxxxXXxxxEndxxxXXxxxX


End file.
